by Mary Wood
This done, she bent to retrieve her packages.
‘Eeh, I can’t get back off. Would you bring me a sup of tea, Megan? Where are you?’
‘I’m here.’ She stood up, the packages once more on the floor. It seemed an age since she’d taken a proper breath, and her lungs felt fit to burst. ‘I were just slipping me shoes on.’
‘I think as I’ll get up after all.’
He sat up.
One quick movement of her foot and the packages whizzed under the bed. There was a clunking sound. Oh God! The piddle pot!
‘What was that?’ Bert leaned over the side of the bed.
Megan collapsed inwardly. It was over. Everything she’d worked for was over. Bert was soon to know it all.
‘What’s that?’
‘What?’ Her voice squeaked in response.
‘There’s sommat under the bed. A package.’ He slid off the bed. Megan wanted to run, but her body wouldn’t move.
He had her money in his hands when he rose. If she wasn’t so afraid, she would have laughed out loud at his expression. He counted it, licking his fingers to separate the notes.
‘Where did this come from?’
She didn’t answer. Her body shook. She was going to be sick.
‘I’m at warning you, Megan. You tell me where this bloody money came from or I’ll swing for you.’
‘I – I’ve been at saving it ever since we got married.’
‘Saving it! Then how come we’d to go without, day after day, and live on handouts all the time when I were on strike, eh? I’ll tell you, Megan, it don’t make sense. There’s twenty pounds here – that’s more than I earn in a bloody month! Tell me truth of it, or I’ll knock it out of you.’
She sank down on the bed. Her mind couldn’t come up with a believable excuse to give him, and she wished she hadn’t kept so much. A couple of pounds would have been plenty to take her on her trips to Leeds, and wouldn’t have needed an explanation. Her only solace was that he hadn’t noticed the envelope containing the locket.
‘I’m bloody warning you, Megan.’
‘Well, why don’t you just do it, then? Why don’t you just beat me to a pulp? You’ll do it anyroad. Your promise not to do it again were a farce, just like all the other times as you’ve promised me. You know as you’ll be at hitting me, whether you find out truth or not!’
‘Aye, happen as you’re reet! Happen as that’s best thing. If I beat you to a pulp, I’d be rid of you. And by ’eck, I’d probably be happier in a prison, even if gallows loomed for me. Because I’ll never be happy with you, Megan Armitage. Never in a lifetime would you give me any happiness.’
His voice trembled with anger, and yet his words were heartfelt and regretful. Her guilt clothed her. How was it she was always plagued with guilt? Was it her fault that everything had gone how it had for Bert?
‘I’ll give you one more chance, Megan. Tell me where the fucking money’s come from and what you were at, with stashing it away.’
‘I – I’ve earned it.’
‘Earned it? Doing what?’
‘Sewing. I’ve been at making frocks for folk this two year or more.’
‘What folk? What’re you on about? Making clothes? How?’
‘I’ve used Issy’s sewing—’
‘I might have known as that lot’d be involved somewhere along the line. You bastard! And behind me back an’ all.’
The blow held all his wrath. It sliced her face and sent her reeling backwards.
She sat back up; she had to fight him over this. She swallowed the tears down. She had to stand her ground.
‘What’s the point in that, eh? You can have it all, Bert. It were going to be for your benefit, anyroad. I were saving it to take us on a holiday to Blackpool. It were going to be a surprise for your thirty-fifth birthday.’
Bert stood above her, the second blow he was getting ready to give her held in the air.
‘You what?’
Where the lie had come from she did not know, but even to her ears it sounded plausible. ‘I’ve been on with thinking about how hard you work and how you’ve never had a holiday, and yet what you can tip up hardly covers the basics. So I thought on giving you a treat. I – I never asked you, Bert, because I know what your answer would’ve been. So I went ahead. I did sommat of me own choosing and without your knowledge. I were going to book a treat for us.’
‘Oh, Megan.’ Bert sat down on the bed next to her. ‘Why? Why does you do it? Didn’t I tell you as I’d not have you working? I know as what I tip up isn’t much, but it has to be enough. If it isn’t, I’ll tip up me betting money and give up going to the dog races. Does folk know as you’ve been doing this? I mean, other than that lot over there?’
‘No. Don’t you think as I’d have been found out, if they had?’
Bert shook his head. ‘How come you could earn this much?’
‘I’ve been at it some two years.’
‘But who have you been making for?’
What if I told him? Would he do anything to Manny? She was mystified at how he was taking it. His anger seemed to have disappeared, so she took a chance and told him. He sat in silence a good while.
‘So you mean as every time as I went in for me baccy, Manny were laughing behind me back?’
‘No, he weren’t, Bert. He were in on the secret, and he were pleased for you.’
Again he was quiet. After a moment he said, ‘I can’t believe it, Megan. I just can’t believe it. That you should have a plan such as this. By, it’d be good to take a break, but me birthday isn’t till back-end of year. We’ve plenty here. Shall we sort it now, eh? And I tell you what. How about we take young Sarah an’ all? She’d be company for Billy. Keep him out of our hair. What d’yer say, eh?’
What did she say? God! She didn’t know what to say. She’d got off lightly with just one blow, and he’d not found her locket. And he wanted to take Sarah along on the holiday that was never really planned. Words failed her, but she knew what she could do. She could jump for joy! That’s what she could do, but instead she just smiled at Bert and nodded her head.
36
The Breaking Out of Evil
‘What’s you got there, Sarah?’ Billy laughed. ‘He’s a tiddler-and-a-half, he is. Let me see.’
‘He’s the biggest catch of the day, and I’ve beat you, Billy Armitage. And you’re a good fisherman, or so you tell me!’
Billy laughed with Sarah. He’d felt cross at what she’d said, but he was that glad to have her to himself that he took it well. She was only teasing, he told himself.
‘Throw it back in then, afore it dies. Anyroad, like I said, he’s still a tiddler! Not like fish as me and your dad catch, when he takes me on river. That’s what you call fishing!’
‘Well then, next time you go, I’ll have to come with you and show you how it’s done.’
‘Aw, give over. Don’t start. We’re not for fighting, are we? Let’s have our butties. I’m reet starved.’
As she passed him a packet of sandwiches from her bag, Sarah said, ‘You know, Billy, it’s been good being out here on our own. I’m glad as your mam sorted it for us. It’s good to have a picnic an’ all.’
‘Aye, it is.’
‘Mind, we won’t see much of each other when you go.’
‘No. In some ways I’m not looking forward to it. Many a time I feel like telling me dad so as it don’t happen. I think I might, because I don’t want not to be able to see you every day, Sarah.’
‘Don’t do that, Billy. Me granny says as if your dad finds out, he’ll kill your mam. She says as we have to accept as things change. It happens all through life, she says. Look at me dad – he’s away more and more lately.’
‘Where’s he this time?’
‘He’s took Mrs Harvey on her holidays today, and he has to stay for the first week as she’d not have a driver. And sommat else has changed an’ all. He snapped at me granny! I’ve never heard me dad do that afore. Me granny were having a
go over Mrs Harvey, saying as poor thing must be in need of a rest, and me dad gave her what-for. He said as how no one knows how hard Mrs Harvey works to keep everything going.’
‘Well, don’t worry. He’ll be reet. Happen he don’t like going away. One thing I do like changing, though, is us being allowed to come out on our own. Especially as we’ve not much time left afore I go.’
‘I know. It’s been good, but Bella weren’t for it. She weren’t pleased at me coming out without her. She scared me some afore I came. She got hold of me and squeezed until I thought as me life were leaving me. I couldn’t breathe! Me granny had to smack her to make her let go.’
‘She should be away some place. She takes up too much of your time. She’s a nuisance. Me dad says as she should be in loony bin, and I reckon as he’s right an’ all.’
‘Don’t talk like that, Billy! Bella’s not a loony. She’s just a little slow, that’s all. I couldn’t have her taken from us. I love her, and she loves me.’
‘Aw, you’re soft, Sarah. You should think on. What if one day she does have a turn and kills you?’ He shivered. The thought of Bella made his spine tingle, and now with this latest! He stood up and looked around. Things had changed, given him a feeling of not being safe, and he didn’t like it.
‘Don’t be daft. Bella’d not hurt me. Not intentionally, anyroad.’
He didn’t say anything. He just stood looking at her as she gathered up the wrappers.
‘Are you stood up because we’re going then, Billy?’
‘Aye, but I need to pee first. I’ll just go into the thicket. I’ll not be a mo.’
‘Hurry up, then. I want to get back to Bella.’
As he climbed the hill, apprehension settled over him. The thicket looked shadowy and menacing. He looked back to where Sarah was. She seemed a long way away. He wondered whether he should wait to pee until he got home, but his nerves had made it more of an urgency. He’d have to go.
When he entered the thicket, the eeriness intensified. He picked the nearest tree and went behind it. As he started to pee, a squirrel scuttled from behind him. He jumped. Fear caused his throat to tighten. The squirrel stood still. He let out a relieved sigh and then, seeing a chance for revenge, aimed his pee at the frozen animal. The drenched squirrel scurried a few paces up the tree, and Billy laughed out loud. He felt better, and his fear lifted some. He aimed again and hit the animal with some more of his pee.
‘Sawah! Sawah!’
Fear snapped back into him, threatening to strangle the breath from his lungs. He knew that voice. It was the halfwit. Where was she? He put himself away. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He looked around, but couldn’t see her. He looked back towards where Sarah was, and couldn’t see her, either. He must have gone further into the thicket than he’d thought. Indecision held him still.
‘Sawah! Sawah!’
Bella was getting nearer. He needed to see her – that way he could judge what to do. He moved towards the next tree and peeped out. How had she got here on her own? He didn’t feel quite so fearful, now that she was in his sight. He’d have some fun – scare her a bit, like she’d scared him. He crept out of his hiding place and bent down to pick up some pine cones. He’d chuck them at her from behind the tree.
Bella was in the clearing, near the old mineshaft. Perhaps she’d fall down it. The thought felt good. She turned towards him. She’d seen him!
‘Biwwy . . . ?’
He’d have to get away; he’d never been on his own with her. The skin on his arms prickled. He stumbled and hit the ground hard. Anger and fear welled up in him. He clawed at the earth to regain his footing, and his hand wrapped around a solid object.
‘Biwwy fall? Biwwy hurt?’
The heavy piece of branch burned in his hand as heat filled his body. A redness clouded his head, searing it with pain. It hurt. It hurt bad. He stood up. She was near him, looking at him with those beady eyes. She stank. He hated her!
The sound of the branch crunching down on her head made the pent-up redness burst out of him. He could see her clearly again. She was lying at his feet. The branch was wet, and it seemed like the redness from inside his head was all over it. He threw it with all his might, listening to it swishing through the air. It landed in the mineshaft.
Everywhere was quiet and still. He shivered. Was Bella dead? The shivering became a tremble.
‘Billy! Billy?’
Sarah’s voice shook him back to reality. He bent down and grasped Bella’s ankles, feeling sick to his stomach at the stench of her. Her clothes were wet with her own pee. She was heavy – the big, fat, ugly sod weighed a ton. He was at the mineshaft. One massive effort and she was over. For a split second, nothing. Then a splattering thud. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. It felt sticky. He looked at it. Blood! The fat, ugly sod’s blood was all over him. He retched.
Suddenly he was hit by the realization of what he’d done. Tears of panic ran down his cheeks. He’d have to clean himself. He grabbed handfuls of leaves and grass and rubbed his face and arms with them.
‘Billy, where are you?’
‘I’m here. Over here!’ He ran towards Sarah’s voice. ‘Sarah. Sarah . . . aargh!’
The earth gave way beneath him, and his body slipped and slid. He couldn’t stop it. Earth and stones tumbled with him as his body came to a halt with a thud. His legs twisted beneath him. He couldn’t see. The dankness, cold and smelly, cloyed at him. His screams made his throat raw, and he blocked his ears.
‘Billy. Billy! What? Oh, Billy, I can’t see you down there.’
‘Me leg! Ooh, me leg. I can’t move.’
‘I’ll get help. I’ll—’
‘Don’t leave me! Sarah, don’t go. Ooh!’
‘I’ve got to, Billy. I’ll run. Don’t worry, I’ll get someone.’
Calling her name was no use; she’d gone and left him. He had best think on and listen out for someone coming. The pain in his leg eased as the cold numbed him. He thought about Bella. She must be dead – she’d seemed dead when he’d dragged her – but he didn’t feel sorry. Mostly he felt scared for himself. This was bad. He’d be in more trouble than he’d ever been in. He had to think of a story to cover what had happened. He could say she was near the mineshaft when he saw her and, as he ran to save her, he fell down this hole. Aye, that was it. That’s what he’d say had happened.
Drops of rain hit his face. Their pace quickened to a heavy downpour. More earth and rubble slid down around him and puddles of water formed at his feet. He was going to be buried alive, or drowned! His screams echoed back at him through the rain. His voice wasn’t strong enough to penetrate it. Blind panic gripped him as he screamed louder and louder.
Issy was distraught. On seeing Sarah running towards her, some hope entered her, but Sarah was screaming and tears were running down her cheeks. What was it that she was screaming? Something about Billy?
‘Quieten down, lass. Oh God! Why did it have to start raining? You’re soaked through. As if I haven’t enough on me plate. Whatever you’re shouting about can wait. Bella’s gone! Have you seen her? Oh God! Sarah, have you seen her?’
‘Bella’s gone? Gone where?’
‘I fell asleep, and when I woke the door was open and she’d gone. Whole street’s out looking for her!’
‘Oh, Granny! And Billy’s—’
‘Never mind about Billy for now. Oh, good, here’s Henry.’
‘Now then, Issy, what’s this I hear about young ’un? I’ve just come in off fields.’
Sarah spoke first, and Issy stood aghast at what she was saying.
‘Mr Fairweather, Billy’s hurt! We were fishing at beck and he went to pee in thicket and didn’t come back. He’s hurt, Mr Fairweather. He’s hurt bad. He’s down a big hole. The ground just swallowed him. He was running towards me, then he was gone!’
‘Billy? I thought as it was Bella as . . .’
Issy took Sarah in her arms. ‘It is Bella an’ all, Henry. She got out on
her own and I can’t find her. She’d nowt on to speak of. She’ll catch her death! And now Billy. God, Henry! What’s to do? What’s to do?’
‘It sounds to me like some of the old mine seam has collapsed. I’ll raise the alarm, and rescue team’ll soon have Billy out. Stay here now, Issy. Look after little lass. Go indoors and get Sarah dry and give her sommat hot and sweet. Aye, and yourself an’ all, then if Bella comes back you’ll be here for her.’ As he turned to go, he added in a softer tone, ‘Happen the women who’re looking will find her afore long. She’ll not have gone far. And if I see Megan round about, I’ll tell her of Billy and take her with me.’
37
For the Sins of the Flesh
‘Well, Jack, what do you think?’ Laura indicated the beach and the sea with her hand, but really she had no need to ask. It was written on his face and in the joy he showed. He was having the time of his life, and was in awe of everything he’d seen since they had arrived in Scarborough just over an hour ago.
‘I can’t tell you, lass. It’s just grand. I feel like a young ’un. Come here, I’ve a mind to dip you in the sea.’
‘No, Jack. No! Put me down!’
‘Not until I’ve wet your feet.’
‘No, no, the water will be so cold.’
She wriggled away from him and ran as fast as she could, but he caught up with her. Her screams as he lifted her into the air and swung her round were a pretence. The joy she felt was all-encompassing.
As he lowered her to the ground, he said, ‘All right, I’ll not dip you, if you promise me I can be at making love to you all night.’
‘Jack Fellam! You drive a hard bargain. All night?’
‘It’s your choice, lass.’ He turned towards the sea.
‘Yes, yes . . . You can! You can, I promise. Let me go.’
Their laughter filled the air, and she couldn’t remember when she’d felt so happy. She went willingly into his arms and allowed his kiss, brushing away the feeling of embarrassment that she felt at being used so in public. The pleasure of Jack’s kiss was worth feeling self-conscious for.